Sick: The Life And Death Of Bob Flanagan Supermasochist review

Watching a man bash a nail through his dick won't be everybody's idea of a good Friday night out, but Sick is an outstanding documentary - candid, moving and never less than thought-provoking as it tells the story of a man confronting his own mortality. Born with the crippling disease cystic fibrosis, Flanagan dealt with the constant pain of his condition by immersing himself in S&M. Director Kirby Dick (no, really) has edited down over 150 hours of footage to a trim, often grim, 90 minutes. His film incorporates reviews with Flanagan (and his doting partner, Sheree), spliced together with extensive footage of the maverick performer's shows and readings. Seeing him die on-screen, slowly and in agony, is a harrowing experience. Film-making at its most vivid and revealing. And its most uncomfortable.